Pender officials move to ban ownership of certain animals

Published: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 2:16 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 2:16 p.m.

The Pender County Commissioners on Monday approved amending the county's animal control ordinance to include a ban on ownership of certain wild animals.

In July 2012, the board formed a temporary exotic animal committee to address how the county should deal with exotic animals.

On Monday, Sheriff Carson Smith, who served on the committee, presented commissioners the committee's recommendation of adding an "inherently dangerous wild animal" section to the ordinance.

The section includes definitions of which animals are defined by the ordinance as "inherently dangerous" and says that, with a few exceptions, they can't be possessed or harbored within the county.

"The ordinance is really quite simple: Section 3, subsection A (says) it shall be unlawful for any owner or other person to possess or harbor an inherently dangerous wild animals, as defined in this chapter, within the county," said Smith.

Smith said the ordinance exempts zoos, circuses, fairs and other temporary events, as defined by the Pender County Unified Development Ordinance. But the use of inherently dangerous animals in these cases must comply with other applicable county ordinances and policies.

The ordinance also gives residents who already own animals now banned an opportunity to keep their animals.

"If you have what is defined as inherently dangerous wild animal in Pender County right now ... you are allowed to keep it as long as you register it with Animal Control," Smith said. "It doesn't mean you can bring in other animals, just the animals that are in the county right now. And if it should be the case that one of those animals is also pregnant, that animal that is born even after this policy goes into effect would be grandfathered in also."

Animals defined in the ordinance as inherently dangerous to a person or property includes: "All felines, other than the domestic house cats (including, but not limited to lions, tigers and leopards), nonhuman primates, bears, wolves, reptiles (poisonous or constricting and giant), and other nondomesticated carnivores."

Smith said the board of commissioners can make changes to the definition, adding or removing animals on the prohibited list.

The interest in addressing exotic animals in Pender increased among officials when in April 2012, in response to multiple bite reports, Pender Animal Control removed a pet male macaque monkey from a Rocky Point home. The animal had reportedly bitten one of his owner's neighbors twice.

<p>The Pender County Commissioners on Monday approved amending the county's animal control ordinance to include a ban on ownership of certain wild animals.</p><p>In July 2012, the board formed a temporary exotic animal committee to address how the county should deal with exotic animals. </p><p>On Monday, Sheriff Carson Smith, who served on the committee, presented commissioners the committee's recommendation of adding an "inherently dangerous wild animal" section to the ordinance.</p><p>The section includes definitions of which animals are defined by the ordinance as "inherently dangerous" and says that, with a few exceptions, they can't be possessed or harbored within the county. </p><p>"The ordinance is really quite simple: Section 3, subsection A (says) it shall be unlawful for any owner or other person to possess or harbor an inherently dangerous wild animals, as defined in this chapter, within the county," said Smith. </p><p>Smith said the ordinance exempts zoos, circuses, fairs and other temporary events, as defined by the Pender County Unified Development Ordinance. But the use of inherently dangerous animals in these cases must comply with other applicable county ordinances and policies.</p><p>The ordinance also gives residents who already own animals now banned an opportunity to keep their animals. </p><p>"If you have what is defined as inherently dangerous wild animal in Pender County right now ... you are allowed to keep it as long as you register it with Animal Control," Smith said. "It doesn't mean you can bring in other animals, just the animals that are in the county right now. And if it should be the case that one of those animals is also pregnant, that animal that is born even after this policy goes into effect would be grandfathered in also."</p><p>Animals defined in the ordinance as inherently dangerous to a person or property includes: "All felines, other than the domestic house cats (including, but not limited to lions, tigers and leopards), nonhuman primates, bears, wolves, reptiles (poisonous or constricting and giant), and other nondomesticated carnivores."</p><p>The ban does not include emus, llamas, ostriches, alpacas and pack animals. Pack animals, include elephants, camels, yaks, reindeer, goats, llamas and domesticated horses.</p><p>Smith said the board of commissioners can make changes to the definition, adding or removing animals on the prohibited list.</p><p>The interest in addressing exotic animals in Pender increased among officials when in April 2012, in response to multiple bite reports, Pender Animal Control removed a pet male macaque monkey from a Rocky Point home. The animal had reportedly bitten one of his owner's neighbors twice. </p><p><i></p><p>Metro desk: 343-2389</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @StarNewsOnline</i></p>